Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner
That I love London so

If my life had a soundtrack to it, “Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner” by Davy Jones would certainly have a spot on the list. The last time I visited London feels like worlds away: it was pre-pandemic and pre-college. This time, I set out to visit my dear friend who was studying abroad at the Fordham campus in London, and as it turned out, a whole host of my other friends were studying there as well – it was quite the international reunion.

Anyways, with 5 days in London, I stroke the balance between visiting my favorite joints and exploring new ones. For reference, I revisited:

• Claridge’s for afternoon tea
• Purezza for vegan pizza
• Ottolenghi for breakfast and lunch
• 3BIS for gelato

MAYFAIR

MERCATO METROPOLITANO, sustainable international food market

In the midst of the pandemic, I reached out to Andrea Rasca, the founder of this sustainable food market, over LinkedIn. A month later, and still melancholy over my time in London, I was working for Mercato Metropolitano remotely and I loved it.  While it strayed from my typical science based endeavors, I had the invaluable opportunity to learn more about positive social impact business, working on projects for disadvantaged children and refugees looking to start their own food business.  Upon my return to London, I knew I needed to meet Andrea.  It turned out to be one of my favorite meals and conversations of the trip!  They have several locations, and their Mayfair one is particularly spectacular.  It is located in an old church, with two floors, including a terrace that all have stalls of international cuisines. What did I order?

• Steamy & Co
  • Mushroom bao
  • Prawn gyoza
• Badiani gelato
  • Coffee gelato in a waffle cone

Those bao buns were easily the best bao buns of my life – they were fluffy and hugged the crispy tangy sweet mushrooms with such a tenderness. The prawn gyoza were light and fresh as can be – a far cry from the supermarket frozen ones, for sure!

The next day, I stopped by again, just to soak up the great energy. Definitely a must-go.

FITZROVIA

KIN, Vegan

When I’m at school, I have two breakfast go-to’s: yogurt or oats with a topping of fruits, granola, and nuts.  I rarely go to the extra lengths of making pancakes or waffles, so when a place offers them for breakfast, I must surrender to such a pleasure. Especially when they seem hearty. What did I order?

• Vegan pancakes with banana and mixed berries, berry compote, almond butter, coconut yoghurt, and maple syrup, £8.50

These pancakes were layered with different textures, from a fatty coconut yoghurt to a tarty berry compote. They were the perfect fuel for my 30,000 step day. If Kin were near me, I would be going daily.

KING’S CROSS

HOPPER’s, Sri Lankan

If you’re in London now, you better hop on over to Hopper’s. Make haste though!  This Sri Lankan restaurant is bustling and has such a fun, playful atmosphere: go with a group of friends so you can try a whole host of things.  What did I order?

• Chettinadu chicken bites, £8.50
• Tamil aubergine kari, £9.50
• Pol roti, £3.50
• Coconut gimlet, £9.50

Hoppers is rather special to me, as it’s the first place that I had a proper drink, by virtue of my friend’s suggestion: a coconut gimlet. As someone who has never had an affinity for alcohol, this was an exhilarating surprise.  It was sweet and didn’t taste like alcohol, which was likely why I liked it! Something planetary must have been going on, because I also ordered fried chicken – which is totally out of character.  But this was easily the best dish, among other delicious bites, of course.  The chicken was crunchy, spicy, and velvety at the same time.  I also got an eggplant curry which was nice, but perhaps I would venture for something else next time.  I also got a pol roti, that is made up of flour, grated coconut with diced green chilies and onions, which complemented the rest of my dishes. 

I will definitely be returning here/keeping my eye out for Sri Lankan restaurants in New York City.

FARRINGDON

FAROS, Italian

Before heading out to The Top Secret Comedy Club (which was a blast), my friends and I dashed to the most charming corner Italian restaurant called Faros.  The exterior and interior were super sleek and we managed to walk in after only making a reservation a couple minutes before, which is rather unusual for London. What did I order?

• Focaccine, £6.50
• Spaghetti Alle Vongole, £15.50

When I see a) spaghetti alle vongole, and b) verify that it’s made senza burro (without butter), I order it.  While it was certainly flavorful, I compare every spaghetti alle vongole to that of Il Posto Accanto in New York.  In other words, this wasn’t the best I had.  If I were to return to Faros, I’d get their pizza. I had gotten their focaccine with tomato sauce which was light, fluffy, and so pleasurable to eat.

Faros’ ethos is: “‘Flavours of the Sun’ sounds as warming as it tastes, and will leave you reminiscing that beautiful Mediterranean island.” And I must concur, that’s exactly how it felt.

CLERKENWELL

GRANGER & CO., Austrailian

Granger & Co. has been on my list since 2019. I was soooo excited to head there for breakfast, especially when I saw their spiced pumpkin and date loaf bread on Instagram. What did I order?

• Spiced vegan pumpkin and date loaf, almond butter and jam, £9

While spicy and delectable, I wish I had ordered this for dessert instead. It was a little too sweet for my liking early in the morning – especially with the powdered sugar on top. In any case, it was super fresh and flavorful. In the future, I think I would have tried their brown rice and miso porridge, with mango and coconut.

SOUTHWARK

BOROUGH MARKET – Shuk, Israeli

I’m a sucker for Israeli cuisine. Borough market changed a little since my last visit, so my typical stop wasn’t there. What did I order?

• Sabich pita, forgot price

I simply cannot say no to a nice sabich pita. What is sabich? It’s roasted aubergine, chopped egg, tomato, pickled cucumber, coriander, mint & amba tahini stuffed in a pita. While I haven’t yet traveled to Israel to try the real deal, this one may have been the best one I’ve had to date. It was complex, with each and every bite bringing a new experience.

THE END

As mentioned before, the other restaurants I went to were repeats from last time.

One of the best experiences was collecting Ottolenghi desserts, and bringing them to Hampstead Heath to eat among the greenery.

As you can tell, I ate my way around London once again. At this point, my favorite joints rival historical landmarks (Buckingham palace, who?). I hope that if you ever find yourself here, you’ll consult this guide!

As my Brit acquaintances say, Cheers!